A field of 10 three-year-olds fillies will battle on turf in the $150,000 Lake George (G3) at Saratoga.(© Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
The 40-day Saratoga meeting gets underway on Friday with a pair of stakes races including the $150,000 Lake George (G3) where last year’s leading trainer Chad Brown seeks his third consecutive victory in the race with Fifty Five.
Brown won his first training title at the Spa meeting last summer and ended up as the Eclipse Award winner for outstanding trainer.
He won the 2015 edition of the Lake George with Mrs. McDougal and saddled last year’s winner Ancient Secret, both ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Fifty Five, the 7-2 morning line favorite will be ridden by Jose Ortiz and the filly will break from the one post in the field of 10 three-year-old fillies that are likely to start. Corporate Queen is a main track only entrant but it appears Mother Nature will cooperate on opening day of the meeting.
The co-feature on the card is the $150,000 Schuylerville (G3) for two-year-old fillies that will go six furlongs on the main track.
Nine go to the post led by 3-1 morning line favorite Buy Sell Hold from the Steve Asmussen barn. The filly won the Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs in her last start.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is seeking his seventh win in the race with Stainless (5-1) who was a good looking maiden winner in her debut at Gulfstream Park on May 29.
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Let’s head out to Saratoga for Friday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The Lake George G3 (Post time 5:40 ET)
#1 Fifty Five 7-2
#7 Party Boat 6-1
#11 Dream Dancing 9-2
#9 Sweeping Paddy 4-1
Analysis: Fifty Five stalked the early pace and could not get to the loose on the lead gate to wire winner last out in the Wonder Again (G3) at nine furlongs, beaten two lengths. The winner was New Money Honey, who was last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner and she came back to win the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in her most recent outing on July 8. Our top pick won the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs at this distance three back. when in the Tom Bush barn. She has landed in the money in all seven of her career starts and makes her third start since landing with Brown, who has won this race the past two years. She should get a more honest pace here.
Party Boat was a game second in the Penn Oaks last out going a mile. The filly tracked the early pace while saving ground, angled toward the outside, had to steady with a furlong to go and finished gamely toward the inside, beaten 3/4 of a length for the top spot. The third place finisher Adorable Miss came back to win the Martha Washington at Gulfstream Park in her next start on July 4. She is a two-time stakes winner including winning the Memories of Silver two back at the Big A.
Dream Dancing tracked the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a third-place finish in the Wonder Again, beaten 1 1/2 lengths for the place spot by our top pick. She was a game second to the talented La Coronel two back at Churchill Downs over good turf in the Edgewood (G3). She won the Herecomesthebride (G3) at Gulfstream Park back in March at this distance. The 9-2 morning line looks fair enough although she draws a tough post.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,7,9,11
TRI: 1,7 / 1,7,9,11 / 1,7,8,9,11
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